Andrew Barclay to chair Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee

5/11/95

Fisheries Minister Monty House today announced that Andrew Barclay had been appointed as chairman of the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC).

Mr Barclay is a Perth partner in the national law firm, Mallesons Stephen Jaques solicitors.

"Mr Barclay's extensive legal and business experience will complement the extensive fishing, research processing and marketing expertise of the current committee members," Mr House said.

"This balance will be extremely important for the long-term, sustainable management of Australia's most valuable fishery."

The new Fish Resources Management Act requires the chairman of RLIAC to be independent of the Fisheries Department and the fishing industry.  Mr Barclay replaces department executive director Peter Rogers.

The committee is the peak group which advises the Minister on issues affecting Western Australia's $300 million-a-year rock lobster industry.

Mr House re-affirmed his decision that the management and conservation package for the west coast rock lobster fishery would remain unchanged when the season officially opened on November 15.

The management measures include:

·       all setose and tarspot females (breeding condition) must immediately be returned to the water;

·       the minimum gauge size increases from 76 mm to 77 mm from the start of the season (November 15 to January 31).  The minimum size then returns to 76 mm for the remainder of the season;

·       a maximum legal carapace size of 115 mm for female lobsters landed from Wedge Island south to Cape Leeuwin and 105 mm for anchorages north of Wedge Island; and the temporary 18 per cent pot reduction for commercial fishermen in all zones continues.

The 621 licensed fishing vessels caught 10,800 tonnes of rock lobster in the 1994-95 season, which was about two per cent down on the previous year.

RLIAC will finalise its recommendations to the Minister for the 1996-97 season in February.

This follows the committee's annual coastal tour meetings that allowed fishermen the opportunity to have a direct input into the on-going management of the fishery.

Media contact:  Will Henwood 481 2044 or 222 9595

Fisheries Department:  Dr Mike Moran 482 7333